Luxembourg, March 9, 2020. After all the changes in the European Cups matches caused by the coronavirus outbreak, one women’s CEV Champions League Volley 2020 is set to take place this week and the second semifinalist in the competition is set to emerge, the first being reigning club world champions A. Carraro Imoco Conegliano of Italy after it was agreed that the quarterfinal re-match with Germany’s Allianz MTV Stuttgart will not be played. On Thursday, VakifBank Istanbul will try to capitalise on their first-match advantage to knock Dinamo Moscow out of the way to the semis.
Two of the most decorated clubs in the history of Europe’s elite club competition, VakifBank Istanbul and Dinamo Moscow, will go face to face at the VakifBank Spor Sarayi on March 12 at 19:30 local time. In the race for a spot in the semifinals, the Turkish powerhouse has a solid gain, technically and psychologically, after winning the first-leg game in Russia by an emphatic 3-0 allowing the opponents only 47 points over the three sets. The eventual winner of this match-up will have to wait till next week to find out whether they will meet another Turkish standout, Fenerbahce Opet Istanbul, or defending champions Igor Gorgonzola Novara of Italy in the battle for a place in the final.
Head to head
• VakifBank Istanbul defeated Dinamo Moscow 3-0 in Moscow last week. VakifBank Istanbul's Isabelle Haak (22) and Dinamo Moscow's Nataliya Goncharova (17) were the only players to reach at least 10 points in that match.
• Milena Rasic won five points from stuff blocks in that match, two more than the entire team of Dinamo Moscow combined (3). Dinamo Moscow failed to produce a single ace that day.
• VakifBank Istanbul eliminated Dinamo Moscow in last season's quarterfinals, losing 2-3 in Moscow and winning 3-0 at home.
• VakifBank Istanbul won five of their previous seven Champions League matches against Dinamo Moscow. They have never lost at home to Dinamo Moscow in the Champions League.
• Dinamo Moscow have lost 11 of their last 13 Champions League matches against Turkish opposition, with the only exceptions 3-2 wins against Fenerbahce Opet Istanbul (fourth round) and VakifBank Istanbul (quarterfinals) in 2018-2019.
VakifBank Istanbul
• VakifBank Istanbul reached the semifinals in each of the last seven Champions League seasons. No other team has reached more than three in this same time period.
• VakifBank Istanbul have reached the Champions League semifinals on nine occasions, already a record in the competition. RC Cannes and Volley Bergamo follow on seven each.
• VakifBank Istanbul can become the first team to win the Champions League five times. They now share the record of four titles with Volley Bergamo. VakifBank Istanbul (8) already have the record for most Champions League podiums.
• VakifBank Istanbul (94) have won the most points from stuff blocks this Champions League campaign. They average 3.8 points from blocks per set, also a competition high.
• Isabelle Haak (153) has won the most points among all players this Champions League season. She scored at least 16 points in each of her seven matches this campaign.
• Only Vasas Obuda Budapest's Sanja Kalicanin (25) has won more points from stuff blocks this Champions League season than Milena Rasic (22) – with two matches more than Rasic to her name.
• Gabriela Braga Guimaraes has the best perfect receptions (55.37%) and reception efficiency (48.76%) among all players this campaign.
Dinamo Moscow
• Dinamo Moscow could reach the Champions League semifinals for a fourth time, after 2006-2007 (runners-up), 2008-2009 (runners-up) and 2016-2017 (fourth place).
• Dinamo Moscow won the Champions Cup, predecessor of the Champions League, a record 11 times, but not since the 1976-1977 campaign.
• Only VakifBank Istanbul (23) have won more five-setters in the competition than Dinamo Moscow (16).
• Nataliya Goncharova has scored on average 6.39 points per set this Champions League season (115 points in 18 sets), the best set average among all players.
• Irina Fetisova won 20 points from stuff blocks this season, at least double the amount of any of her teammates.
• Yana Shcherban (31.29%) and Natalia Krotkova (28.75%) are in second and third place on the list for best reception efficiency, behind VakifBank Istanbul's Gabriela Braga Guimaraes (48.76%).
Giovanni Guidetti, head coach of VakifBank: “We played a very good match in Moscow but we know that Dinamo has great players and they will not accept another match going the same way. We have to be ready to fight strong against such a strong opponent. We want to make it to the semis of the Champions League and we need the support of our spectators because last time we played in front of a full stadium - so we hope that the same crowd will come again.”
Gabriela Guimaraes, outside hitter of VakifBank: “The next match is really important for us to be ready for the semi-finals of course. I think Dinamo will change many things compared to last week. We did an amazing job in the first game. They are a difficult team to play against because they have strong players and we know that they will change something to surprise us here at home. However, playing at home, we need to enjoy this crowd, which always gives us a lot of positive energy. We need to put all the pressure we can right from the start, because they need to win this match to go to the semi-finals. We are working on the things that we need to improve and we do so with much focus.”
All Champions League games are streamed live on EuroVolleyTV.
For more info, follow the Champions League 2020 and the CEV Cup 2020 sections.